During both drilling of a wellbore and after drilling, fluid (oil, gas and water) from the formation (“formation fluid”) is often extracted to determine the nature of the hydrocarbons in hydrocarbon-bearing formations using a formation testing tool that contains one or more chambers or tanks for collecting fluid samples. The fluid samples are tested downhole during collection process and at the surface to determine various properties of the extracted formation fluid. During drilling of a well, a drilling fluid is circulated through a drill string and the annulus between the drill string and the wellbore diameter. The pressure of the drilling fluid on the formation is greater than the pressure of the formation in which the well is drilled. The drilling fluid invades into the formation surrounding the wellbore to varying depths, referred to as the invaded zone, which contaminates the original or connate fluid present in the invaded zone. To collect samples of the original fluid present in the formation, either during drilling or post drilling, a formation testing tool is conveyed into the wellbore. A probe having a fluid line is sealingly pressed against the wellbore wall. A pump typically extracts the fluid from the formation into the probe. The initially extracted fluid is discarded into the wellbore while testing it for contamination. When the extracted fluid is sufficiently clean, fluid samples are collected in one or more chambers (tanks) for analysis. Single and multiple probes have been utilized for extracting formation fluid.
The present disclosure addresses the need for sealing high differential pressure in a downhole environment, as well as in surface applications.